PR-026-2021
A distinguished line-up of Philippine and Australian officials in the government and education sectors featured in a recent education forum to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Organised by the Philippines Australia Committee for Education (PACE), in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne, the online forum held 17 November was hosted by the RMIT University and chaired by Associate Professor Robbie Guevara.
Consul General Ma. Lourdes Salcedo shared her personal story of the value of education as the ‘great equaliser’. She then reminded us of a Cultural Agreement penned in 1977 between the Philippines and Australia where specific articles related to educational partnerships. She hoped that the forum can activate some of the aspirations embedded in that agreement.
Philippine Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Ma. Hellen de la Vega highlighted the strategic value of education to the diplomatic relations. Given the Philippines is the fifth largest source country of Australian migrants, she reiterated the shared values around good governance and the rule of law especially around the economic and security benefits of maritime nations. She hoped that academic, research and industry partners in both countries can work together in areas such as cybersecurity, digital economy, disaster resilience, climate change and marine environmental protection.
Global Victoria Commissioner for South East Asia Ms Rebecca Hall shared case examples of recent and early Filipinos who came to Australia for pursue education. While Filipino students reached over 7000 prior to the pandemic, she reported that as at November 2021, over 3000 Filipino students are enrolled in Victorian institutions, three quarters of whom are studying onshore and a quarter offshore. Global Victoria supported international students including Filipino students during the pandemic such as the Food Bank and other programs.
The forum featured panel sessions for vocational and higher education partnerships. Moderated by former honorary consul and ETEA general manager, Raul Hernandez, the VE panel included TESDA’s Executive Director for Planning Rosalina Constantino and Center for Culinary Arts (Manila), Dr Ma Veritas Luna.
The higher education panel moderator Dr Marianne Sison, RMIT Honorary University Fellow, explained the various transnational activities such as student exchanges, study tours, internships and research partnerships. Panellists from La Trobe University’s Dan Bendrups, Ateneo de Manila’s Dr Anna Candelaria, RMIT University’s Professor Denise Cuthbert and University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication Dean Professor Armi Santiago.
To demonstrate some partnership outcomes, Guevara related the engagement by his international development students in their visits to Miriam College in Manila and Bohol as part of their curriculum. Several students also shared their experiences in Melbourne as an Endeavour Scholar in a video. Concluding the partnership outcome segment, Kimberly Clemencio, president of the Filipino Australia Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO) explained her organisation’s activities and shared a video featuring the experiences of five current and recent students in Victoria.
Deputy Consul General Anthony Mandap thanked the organisers and closed the proceedings with a call to continue harnessing the benefits of partnerships, not just for the students, the institutions or industry, but more broadly, toward more inclusive human development.
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